Kenneth Rijock

Saturday, January 9, 2016

DHS SAYS SUB-STANDARD DRIVERS LICENSES ARE GOOD FOR TWO MORE YEARS

The Department of Homeland Security, which is supposed to enforce the 2005 Real ID Act, which mandates tamper-proof & counterfeit-proof state drivers' licenses, have given the non-compliant states two more years to deliver them to their residents. This is after some states have already obtained two prior extensions of time to comply. Costs, partisan politics and data breach fears have contributed to the already unhealthy delays, which means raised risk levels for bank compliance officers.

Some of the states object to the increased costs, others, who have issued licenses to illegal aliens, have political reasons, for only legal residents & citizens are eligible for Enhanced Drivers' Licenses; still others assert that prior data breaches represent a well-founded fear.

If you have not already read my earlier article, published on January 3, 2106, you may want to scroll down the page and read it. Money launderers and terrorists, who can easily obtain bogus drivers' licenses in the non-compliant states, can open accounts at your bank. As I have previously stated, compliance officers should not longer accept the non-compliant DLs as primary identification, and you may want to require that ALL new accounts applicants give you a supplementary document, even those with compliant licenses.

In my humble opinion, driver's licenses run a poor second to passports for identification purposes. Many Americans have one. Concealed firearms permits, military IDs, and other official types are available; use them if you can.